The Second Tithe
by Midnight Marionette
Summary: Kaye's Persephoneesque existence is shattered when Lutieloo brings her news from Ironside that Kate's been kidnapped in an attempt to do a Tithe and create a new court to overthrow Roiben. M to be safe.
1. Ethine's Plan

**A/N: I love Holly Black books. So I'm writing this. Read and review, please.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the Tithe books or characters. The only ones that are mine are Grainne, Shalini, and Monica, who will pop p at various times. **

_It seems surreal to think that I'm here now. With Roiben, out of Ironside, for the longest I've ever been gone. I've been here for almost two weeks, which could be God knows how long Ironside. Corny's probably worried, but I can't seem to make myself leave. It's too perfect. In the six years since he won the Seelie court, a lot has happened._

_While Roiben does his balancing act over the Seelie and Unseelie courts, I've been splitting my time, just like I told him I would. Dulcamara says if I keep going Ironside, I'm going to poison myself eventually, but I can't stay away from my human friends and family._

_Every two days, Lutie-loo has gone to check on them, to make sure no bitter Seelie faeries have gone after my family. She says that Kate actually ate a cheesburger the other day. I was really surprised. I was pretty sure that kid was going to eat fucking flower petals forever._

_And Corny…well he's being Corny. He and Luis moved to Manhattan, and got a real apartment. I'm pretty sure it's the first real place Luis has had in a while. He sent me a note, with Lutie, and said "this place is so fucking nice, Kaye. Come see it"._

_But I'm afraid that if I leave, I'll realize it was all a dream, and nothing ever happened, and I'll be a normal human again, and nothing will exist again._

_I know that sounds like a shitty excuse for staying away, but I can't help it. _

_But—_

"Kaye!!!! KAYE!!!!"

Kaye looked up from the little notebook she'd been writing in, annoyed. She saw a tiny faerie flit into the room. Standing up, showering Roiben's bed with pixie dust, she fixed her black eyes on Luti-loo.

"What is it, Luite?" she sighed exasperatedly.

"There's been an incident in Ironside!" Lutie flew to her shoulder and began to knot her hair nervously.

"What happened Lutie?" Kaye said, deadly serious.

"It was…it was Ethine. She snapped. She's gone mad! She's been enchanting humans to…to…"

"WHAT? WHAT IS IT?" Kaye shouted angrily.

"It was Kate. Ethine sent Talathain after her."

Kaye was standing in an instant. She panicked a little bit. Things were happening too fast. She couldn't focus for a second. Kate was only eleven. What could they want with her?

"What do they want with Kate?" Kaye said a bit dizzily.

"They're going to try to do a Tithe, Kaye. And Ethine and Talathain are going to create a new court."

"But…Talathain hates Ethine." Kaye said. This couldn't be happening. "Roiben had to stop him from killing her."

"Kaye, she's got him enchanted. She pulled up the feelings that were buried…and he's her puppet." Lutie knotted her hair again.

Without another word, Kaye dashed from the room. She met Roiben in the hallway. His grim expression told her he knew. "Roiben." She breathed. "We haveto stop them. Ellen's really only got Kate now!"

He nodded. "I'm going to try to reason with her."

Kaye's eyes widened. "You can't. If you go there, she'll kill you."

"I'm taking my four best knights," he said.

"Roiben, you've got over a thousand knights! Take a fucking battalion, damn it!"

He stared down into her eyes, knocking the breath from her with that gaze. "I'll be fine." He said softly. "Dulcamara, Ellbere, Grainne, and Shalini will be enough."

"You," he said, "Need to stay here. Ethine is trying to lure you out. She sees my being here as your fault."

"NO!" Kaye shouted. "I have to go Ironside! What about Ellen? What about Corny and Luis? I'm not going to play her fucking games Roiben. Fuck, I'm not gong to let her hurt them to get me out of the hill!"

He tried to give her that look again, but she averted her eyes. "Not to mention all the faeries bunking in the coffee shop. And what about my only human employee? What about Monica? No. I'm going!"

"I refuse to let you go," he muttered darkly. "I'll tell the other knights to keep you here."

"And I'll tell them to let me go. Did you forget I can command them too?" She glared at him defiantly, daring him to tell her no.

Before he could respond, she snapped open her wings and flew. "What now, Lord of the Night?" she mumbled sarcastically.

Too many people were involved in this to not do something. Samhain was in three days, and she wasn't letting Kate get sacrificed. She wouldn't let the casual cruelty get her family and friends.

_Fuck you, Roiben._

((A/N: Yeah, it was kind of a short first chapter, but I'm in school, so thaty's why I can't work on it a whole bunch right now.))


	2. An Allotment of Faerie Bullshit

**A/N: Wow. I got a review. Thanks, Harey. **

**DISCLAIMER: Obviously it's not mine…or I wouldn't be writing fan fic on it, I'd be on a multi-million dollar book signing tour.**

Kaye remembered just as she hit the streets that she had to change her appearance. She glamoured herself quickly, mostly focusing on normal, non-faerie clothes, sin that wasn't green, and make-up so she wouldn't look like some horrifying beast of the Underworld.

_Wait. I think that's redundant._ She thought dryly.

"Okay," she said to herself. "Coffee shop."

When she finally got into the city, she nearly gagged. The iron choked her senses until she thought she might pass out. It felt like some sort of monster hangover had just hit her. She leaned against one of the buildings for support, and then yelped.

Iron skeletons.

Muttering darkly under her breath, she walked through the city, taking as few breaths as humanly (faerie-ly) possible. She looked up gratefully at the painted sign that read, "Moon in a Cup". She stepped inside, and took a deep breath. There was absolutely no iron in this entire building. The frame was made of pure steel, no iron to speak of. The machines were copper, like Corny had suggested.

The whole place looked like some kind of whacked out faerie tale. The walls on the left side of the room were painted in Unseelie fashion, and the right were painted in Seelie fashion. There were special rooms in the back for faeries who felt they had no place to go.

_Maybe help people with faerie problems. Like Luis does. Maybe even help faeries with faerie problems._

She let her glamour drop, and went back to the espresso machine. She filled herself a cup.

"Hey!" she heard someone shot. "If you want an espresso you need to—"

Kaye turned to Monica, who's angry face shifted into a smile instantly. "Why Kaye." She said. "It's been such a long time."

"How long has it been Ironside?" Kaye asked, not really wanting to get into a long conversation, even though Monica was one of the few normal people who would actually talk to her. You know, the ones who weren't sprouting extra limbs because of faeries.

"About a month. By the way, a fearie Lady dropped in yesterday." Monica was the only person in Manhattan besides Luis, at the moment, who had True Sight.

Kaye froze. "What did she looked like?"

"Short, white hair, silver eyes. Prettier even than most. With a butter blonde haired knight."

"Damn, damn, damn…What did she say?" Kaye said sharply, cursing herself for not checking in herself, staying in the Palace of Termites for so long had been such a stupid thing to do. Stupid and selfish.

"She told me to tell you, 'negotiations are available'." Monica looked confused, and began twirling a piece of her bright pink hair, a nervous habit of her.

"Did she say where'd she'd be?" Kaye pressed.

"Kaye, what's going on?" Monica asked worriedly.

Kaye clenched her hands into fists. "Monica this is important. Lady Ethine's snapped and kidnapped my sister. Did. She. Say. Where. She'd. Be?" Her teeth were clenched, and she could feel herself involuntarily digging her nails into her palms.

"The orchard, whatever that means."

Kaye whispered, "I'm sorry." Then she pulled the energy around her friend, and saw the green eyes grow vacant. "I was never here. You don't know anything about me, only that I've been missing."

After checking the bunkrooms, she slipped out of the shop, and swore when she realized she'd forgotten her espresso.

XXX

Luis's beeper began to buzz, and Corny automatically tossed him the cell phone. Life was so simple now. The only thing that worried him was that it had been too long since they'd heard from Kaye.

As if on cue, Luis put the phone on speaker.

"Corny," he heard Kaye's voice say. She sounded panicky. "Where are you at?"

"Home," he said, confused.

"Don't leave. I'm coming over. If anyone comes to the door that isn't me, don't let them in. Let Luis look first."

_Let Luis look first._

The phone went dead, and Corny said, "I think that means we're in deep faerie shit."

"What else is new?" Luis said, rolling his eyes.

XXX

Shoving her phone back into the glamour pocket, Kaye kept her head down, walking as fast as she could, looking for the right apartment building.

Fucking New York, has to have a billion apartment complexes. 

She finally managed to find the right one, and trudged up the stairs to the second floor. She knocked on the door that had the number "205" on it. She waited impatiently, and then heard someone shout through the door, "What comic book hero do I want to want to date?"

She smiled. "You don't date heroes. You only go for villains."

She heard the chain rattle and the door opened.

She hugged Corny quickly, and then he asked, "Kaye, what the fuck is going on?"

"As far as I know," Kaye began, "Ethine has enchanted Talathain to do her bidding. She's been dong the same thing to humans. She's kidnapped…she's kidnapped Late, and intends to use her for a Tithe. They want to make a new court."

"But how?" Corny asked.

"They sacrifice her Corny!" Kaye said, feeling pissed.

"No, I mean, there's Seelie, and Unseelie. What's it going to be…Middle-Seelie?"

Kaye smiled. He always knew what to say.

"So what's the battle plan?" Luis asked.

"I'm going to go talk to Ethine."

"No," Corny and Luis said at the same time.

"God DAMMIT don't DO this to me guys. Roiben said the same thing. I'm going, with or without you."

Luis began to laugh. "Like we'd let you go without us."

"Yeah," Corny added. "We haven't had our dose of crazy faerie bullshit in a really long time."

Kaye smiled weakly, and followed them out of the apartment.

XXX

Ethine smiled. "Thanks you, Monica."

The human with pink hair nodded vaguely, her eyes clouded with enchantment. She fell to the floor, the bruises on her face glowing slightly.

"She'll be at the orchard any time now, Talathain." Ethine said to the man whose hand was still clenched.

"Yes. Of course." He said, taking her hand.


	3. Roiben's Threat

Roiben cursed as he entered the orchard. Ethine had gone mad. Truly, she had. The humans she'd stolen had been enchanted to have such a great beauty that it made him sick to look at. So beautiful, it was no longer beauty.

"Lord Roiben," Dulcamara hissed. "There is no reason to be here. We should just crush her."

Roiben gave her a withering look, and continued through the orchard and under the branches of the willow tree. Ethine lounged on a thick, plush cushion, Talathain standing next to her. Her hand fell from the couch to trail pale fingers over the head of a human child.

For a moment, Roiben felt like he'd been punched in the gut. The girl was a miniature Kaye. Then, he remembered. _Kate._ He seethed. Kate saw him, and whispered, "Lord Roiben!" She looked like she wanted to cry.

She stood up and ran to him, basically tackling him in the stomach, hugging him and crying. "She promised me they wouldn't steal me again!" she sobbed into his shirt.

He was so shocked, he could only hug her back. Ellebere made a disgusted sound, and Roiben shot him a death glance.

"My dear brother," Ethine said lazily. "My dear, dear brother…" She laughed bitterly. "My monster." She snarled.

"Ethine." Roiben said simply.

He turned to his four knights. "Don't you want to show Lady Ethine proper respect?"

Shalini smiled, revealing pointed teeth. She stepped forward, bowing, her red blood red hair falling into her face. She looked up at Ethine with black eyes. "Lady Ethine…" she said wit ha feral grin. "You have no idea how it pleases me to be in your prescence."

"Thank you," Ethine said, smiling as Silarial had once smiled.

"Yes," Shalini continued, examining her blood stained fingernails. "It is so much easier to imagine how I will kill you when you're actually here."

Roiben bit back a laugh, and he heard Ellebere chuckle as Ethine's dreamy expression fell. Grainne stepped forward to stand next to her, his dark green hair reflecting the light coming in through the willow branches.

"Lady Ethine. We bid you welcome to our Lord Roben's lands. Now leave." He said, his orange eyes lighting up with a laugh.

"Kaye, come here." Ethine said, her eyes not leaving Roiben's.

"I'm not Kaye." Kate mumbled into Roiben's shirt.

"Of course you are. The pixie is the one who stole your name." Ethine smiled, but it didn't quite reach her enraged eyes.

"Do you want to now your pixie's name, Roiben?" Ethine taunted. "Wouldn't it be nice to just be able to command her, just once? Instead of being her pawn?"

"I'm not her pawn." Roiben hissed.

Ethine stood, and walked over to him, until she was a mere hairsbreadth away from him. She put a hand on Kate's head, and shoved her away from Roiben. She fell with a cry, and surprisingly, it was Dulcamara who ran to her side.

"Wouldn't it be nice, brother?" Ethine whispered. "To steal her power as she stole yours?"

He wanted to shove her away, but it would be too much like what she'd done to Kate. She stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him, shoving her tongue into his mouth.

He wasn't sure who was more shocked, himself or his knights. Without thinking, he pushed her back, stepping back, rubbing his mouth. She grinned, licking her lips. Dulcamara tackled Ethine, knocking her to the ground.

Talathain came to life, suddenly, pouncing forward, pulling Dulcamara off Ethine, and Roiben saw the knife flash, and saw his knight fall, groaning in pain as the flesh around the shulder wound smoked. Iron. Talathain was using an iron blade.

Ellebere made a choked sound, and fell to his knees at her side. It would have been a glancing blow, but the iron was in her bloodstream now. She shuddered and was still.

Roiben felt himself trembling. "You've just ended all chances of a peaceful negotiation. I will return. And you will not live to see the end of our next meeting.


	4. The Tree of Faces

**A/N: Ack! I read through this, and must asked that you excuse my typos…I'm terrible at catching them when I go through…I apologize. I also apologize for my lack of updating-ness. I started school, and I'm taking Latin 2 AND German 1 this year and it's kicking my butt. **

Kaye, Luis, and Corny had set out for the orchard a few minutes ago, but she was no longer sure exactly what she was doing. She had run out on Roiben without the slightest thought to his safety, her own safety.

Not to mention she was dragging the only human friends she had in the worlds into this.

_But Kate. Kate needs to be saved._

Kaye kept her head down, and wrapped her coat tighter around her.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Corny said knowingly.

_God dammit, Corny, why do you have to notice everything?_

"Nothing. I'm just worried about Roiben." She said, dodging the question. "And Ellen, and Grandma, and Kate…Why does it seem that we spend half our time worrying about everyone else?"

"Because it's the right thing ot do?" Corny offered.

"No." she said darkly. "The right thing to do was to not try and drop my glamour by rolling around in a patch of clover years ago. Maybe I didn't ever need to know about this. Maybe we shouldn't have to protect everyone." Her thoughts were utter turmoil, and she just wanted to crawl under a rock and sleep.

"What are you saying?" Luis asked darkly. Protecting people was a sore point for him.

"No, Luis, I'm not personally jibing you for your complete failure at protecting your stupid, druggie little brother." Kaye snapped, feeling horrible the moment it was said.

_If only there was a way to snatch words back. To pull them back in after they've been said. _

She saw his face shift to anger, and then to sadness. She gave them both a level stare, and then said, "I need to do this alone. Not with either of you. I'm putting you in danger. Go home."

She turned on them and continued walking.

XXX

The orchard was terrifying. The people there were supposed to be beautiful, but they weren't, not at all. Kaye shivered when one of them smiled and welcomed her. She let her glamour drop and they all backed off, blatant hostility showing in their eyes.

So they knew who had brought them here, and they knew they didn't like it. That surprised her.

"Lady Kaye." A melodic voice called from behind her.

Kaye froze. No. That voice…that voice was dead. She turned, and shrieked in terror.

Hanging from on of the apple trees was the head of Silarial. There were other heads hanging from other branches, some familiar, most not.

"Wh…What is this?" she whispered.

Silarial smiled a knowing smile. "Pathetic, aren't I? Lady Ethine has bound the souls she hated the most here. Read the sign, there, Kaye."

Kaye looked at the sign to her left, not daring to disobey.

**The Tree of Faces**

**Those Fey and Mortals Who Have Displeased the Lady Ethine**

She saw Mabry's name on the rather long list, but it was the last few that chilled her to the bone.

_Kaye._

_Roiben_

_Cornelius._

_Luis._

_Valerie._

_Ravus._

Kaye screamed again when she saw Ravus had already been caught, sentenced to this horrifying fate. She walked over to where his head hung, and felt tears roll down her face. "Ravus." She whispered.

"Kaye!" he said, his eyes flying open. "Please. Where is Val? Please tell me Val isn't here."

"I…I haven't talked to her in a while." Kaye said, trembling.

"Please! Kaye! Tell me where she is!" The head continued desperately.

"I don't know." Kaye whispered falling to her knees. "I don't know." She squeezed her eyes shut, willing this to go away.

Suddenly, someone seized her arms and lifted her up. "Well, if it isn't a little pixie." A deep voice said tauntingly.

Kaye turned, and looked at who it was, not certain she could handle meeting any other 'old friends'.

When she saw who it was, she threw herself into his arms, sobbing. "Grainne." She said tearfully into his shoulder.

"Kaye, what are you doing here?" the knight asked gently, which was odd, for him.

"Trying to get Kate back." Kaye mumbled almost incoherently.

"Lord Roiben has been looking for you all around this cursed orchard. Dulcamara is dead. You cannot meet with Ethine."

Kaye became very still. "I have to." She said. "It's my responsibility."

"You should at least come and see Lord Roiben first," Grainne suggested mildly, standing up, pulling her with him.

She nodded wordlessly. There was nothing she wanted more than to see Roiben right now.

Garinne led her over the edge of the orchard where she saw Roiben, standing stoically next to a completely lifeless looking Ellebere.

_Why do we pay with our loved ones? _Kaye thought morbidly.

"Kaye!" Roiben called, his silver-spoon eyes lighting up briefly. He pulled her into a strong hug, surprising her. He never let his guard down around his knights.

"I saw…the tree…and Ravus…." She hiccupped, and he held her tighter.

"Ethine's not getting away with this." He whispered in her ear. "If you want to meet with her, I would gladly send Shalini or Grainne with you."

She would have felt safer with Ellebere, but he didn't look like he was able to do anything right now. He was staring blankly at the ground, his hand trembling on the hilt of his sword. He looked like a man about to fall apart.

"Thank you." she whispered.

"Shalini." Roiben said. It wasn't a question in the least. Kaye turned back, to go into the orchard once more.

She entered the willow tent, and Ethine smiled as she saw her.

"Why, Kaye. I was hoping you'd come." She said, motioning for her to come closer with her index finger.


	5. Revelations and Wonderings

**Author's Note: All right. I know I fail at life, for waiting this long to update it. I got out of the mood for it, and was going to stop writing it and delete it. But I recently re-read Ironside, and then I got a review, and someone else favorite the story. So, I felt like I was letting everyone down, and then I got a big inspiration kick. I won't let it go so long again. **

Kaye stepped forward warily, unsure of herself, or Ethine. It was impossible to read the silver eyes, which were focused on her with such an intense rage, and a few other emotions she couldn't quite place. She had the feeling that if Roiben wasn't nearby, Ethine might have killed her already. Taking a deep, breath, she spoke, finally, to answer Ethine's challenge.

"I knew you wanted me here. That was the plan, wasn't it? To get me out of the Hill of Termites? Mission accomplished, Ethine. Now let Kate go." Her voice wasn't as strong as she would have liked, and it was hard to keep herself from flying into a rage that would have included a lot of swear words.

But that wouldn't have shaken Ethine's cool calm, and so Kaye tried to draw on that and get some of her own coolness. She tried to ignore Kate's pleading eyes, and the feral grin Talathain was giving her. But there was one thing she couldn't just let go, one thing that she would never forgive Ethine for.

"Why torture souls with the tree, Ethine?" Kaye said, her voice a bare whisper. "Don't you remember the day Roiben won the Seelie Court, and you called us all monsters?"

"The girl who spoke that day is dead!" Ethine snapped, and Talathain moved forward an inch, as if preparing to strike. Shalini, who had been silent and motionless throughout this, put a hand on the hilt of her sword.

"Is she really?" Kaye said, her voice taunting. "Because I still see traces of her in you. You might like to think you destroyed her, but you haven't."

"_Shut up_!" Ethine screamed, and gave Talathain a pointed look. "YOU made my brother a monster, pixie! You were the one that made him so he would never return to the Seelie Court. If you had simply stayed out of the way, Roiben would be _here_, with me, as Silariel's lover!"

The words stung, but Kaye kept on her feet, trying to think like a pixie. "Roiben didn't love Silariel anymore, Ethine. She made him what he is, not me." Her voice was low, and she couldn't think of a witty jibe to piss the other faerie off.

"No! For all we know, you knew you were a pixie all along, and plotted with Nicnevin so you could get the crown," Ethine hissed.

That was too much. Kaye stepped forward, putting her face in Ethine's. Talathain moved forward as well, but a small hiss from Shalini sent him back a pace. Kaye grinned at Ethine's angered, but slightly afraid face. "You think you know everything, don't you Ethine? Well, right now, you know nothing, and I doubt you ever will. You know nothing about me. Don't you dare accuse me of plotting with Nicnevin."

Ethine's grin was cool and forbidding. "But Kaye, I know more about you than you do."

The way she said it made Kaye's blood run cold. "What do you mean by that?" she asked warily, glancing back at Shalini, whose face was carefully emotionless.

"I know your name." Ethine said, and Kaye felt like her world had been shattered.

XXX

Valerie Russell sat on the swing set, smoking a cigarette, watching the smoke get carried away by the wind. Her chin length hair blew into her face, and she swore softly. Her heart wasn't really in it. With a sigh, she let her thoughts wander, again, to the forbidden wonderings she'd denied herself for a few weeks now.

_Where is he? Is he hurt? Or doesn't he love me anymore?_

The thought of Ravus no longer loving her stung. But if he didn't, surely he would have had the courtesy to tell her? So she didn't have to sit out here on the swings all the time, waiting for him to come. His former words came back to haunt her.

_Gone in one faerie sigh…_

_I can hold my breath._

"You're doing a shitty hob holding your breath," she muttered to no one.

"Talking to yourself is never a good sign," she heard someone call, and she half turned in the swing to see Ruth coming towards her.

"You mom said you were out here again," she explained, handing Val a cup of coffee.



"Have _you_ heard anything from him?" Vale asked miserably, sipping the coffee, which was surprisingly good. She looked at the label and realized it was Starbucks. They hardly ever got _decent_ coffee. Ruth must have known how low she was feeling.

"I haven't gotten anything off the Acorn Express, same as you." Ruth said. "I wish I had, just so I could write back and tell him what an asshole he's being."

Val shot a glare at her best friend. "Ravus is not an asshole." She said quietly.

"I'd like to know what he is then," Ruth said, giggling, "Because he's doing a tremendous job of acting like an asshole for not being one."

Val sighed. Ruth was right. And she wasn't really irritated. Ravus was actually beginning to piss her off, because she was miserable and sick of being miserable. It was nearly like when Tom…She shied away from that thought. No, there was no way in hell her mom was fucking Ravus.

"What's that little smirk for?" Ruth asked, her eye quizzical.

"Just thinking about the look on mom's face if she tried to steal _this_ boyfriend." Val said, finally able to laugh freely.

But her thoughts were still troubled. She wasn't going to feel all right until Ravus came back. She had a terrible sense of foreboding. A raven cawed overhead, and she jumped. Ruthe laughed, but the hairs on the back on Val's neck were standing up.

No, this was simply bad all around…


	6. True Name

**Author's Note: Ummmm. I guess I can say sorry…haha. Again. Every time I update this story, I'm apologizing. Sometimes, I decide to quite it, and work on my own stuff. But then I get reviews and favorite story alerts, and once again, I feel like I'm letting everyone down. And I really do love this story. When I set out to right it, I set out to finish it, and DAMN IT ALL I will. You can all thank StoryOfATeenageAuthor for her review—it basically kicked my ass into action. **

Kaye felt the wind stir around her. She hadn't looked away from Ethine's gaze. It was like they were having a staring contest— whoever looked away first would lose. The consequences of losing such a contest were unclear at the moment, but one thing was certain. She couldn't afford a loss. Not when Ethine apparently knew her name. The wind died down after barely moving the leaves on the trees. An eerie sense of foreboding crept over her, and she knew that everything was different now.

"No you don't." she breathed after the pause, her eyes still glued to the other faerie's.

"Look away from me." Ethine replied, just as quietly.

Horrified, Kaye felt her eyes tear away from Ethine's gaze. The pain it caused her to try and look back made her head spin. A few curse words dribbled out of her mouth, and she could only stare at the ground. The other faerie laughed triumphantly, and put a small hand on Kaye's shoulder, patting it soothingly. "You can look up again." She said, her voice holding a shade of victory.

"What is my name?" Kaye asked. She wanted to know. Oh, more than anything, especially if Ethine knew it too.

Ethine leaned in very close, and Kaye shivered at the breath on her ear. The name was whispered to her, and instantly, she knew it was true. How could it not be? Her whole body went stiff as the words fell from the other faerie's lips…there was no way it could be false. "Corvina Chryseis Clarinda."

A shiver went down her spine. Ethine whispered something else in her ear: "You are to tell Roiben nothing of this. You may not tell him or anyone your real name. And you may not tell Val about Ravus. Now go."

Kaye nodded helplessly. She remembered how angry Roiben had been with her for using his name against him once. _Rath Roiben Rye._ The words stung her now. Feeling his pain exactly as he had described it, she left the false court. She didn't miss Ethine's smirk— the image was burned into her mind. Her name seemed to be whispered in her ear with every beat of her heart. It was a terrible burden. Once again, she wished she had remained ignorant of this whole world.

When she returned to Roiben, she realized she hadn't even seen Kate. Disgusted with herself, she allowed herself to be held against Roiben's chest as they left the realm of fey. Silently, she vowed to return for her sister, even if she had to die to do so. After all, she was the pixie who had solved the impossible quest, right? How could she now also solve the impossible-to-get-around rule?

XXX

Val was officially freaking out. Ravus still hadn't contacted her. Five times she had gone to the bridge and knocked on the tree, only to get no answer. She had asked around, talking to every fey she knew— none of them knew anything. She was beginning to think that Kaye was her only hope. Kaye was the only one who travelled back and forth between Ironside and the fey realms, so she had to know what the troll was up to…

"Look, I don't know why you're so worried. He's probably just busy." Ruth told her as they sat in Kaye's coffee shop.

Lifting her drink to her lips, Val took a quick drink, burning her tongue, and said, "Ruth, do you realize how long it's been? Something has to be wrong with him. I'm scared."

Her best friend's eyes softened. "You don't have to be scared for him. He's a fairly big guy. I think he can protect himself."

"He couldn't protect himself from Mabry." Val mumbled, even though she knew that wasn't entirely true.

She was getting sick because of all the worrying. Yesterday, she hadn't gotten up until afternoon, much to her mother's dismay. Of course, her mother barely talked to her. She was too afraid that something she said would offend her daughter, and she would run away again. Val thought fondly of her time in the city. She wondered for a moment what had ever happened to Lolli, but shoved those thoughts out of her mind, refocusing on her problem with Ravus. "You don't think he's just trying to tell me he hates me, do you?" she asked softly, eyes on the black table in front of her.

"Val, are you serious?" Ruth asked, her eyebrows shooting upward.

"Well—"

"I think your boyfriend has a higher standard of ethics than that, and you know it. Look, as soon as Kaye and Roiben show up, we'll figure it out. One of them in sure to know what's going on."

The words were comforting. Of course Roiben would know— he was friends with Ravus. And if Roiben didn't show up, Kaye would. As if in answer to her silent prayer, the door jingled open. Val looked over, and felt her whole face light up with a smile as a bedraggled Asian girl with green hair made her way over to the table. Kaye appeared to be worried about something, and her eyes were panicked when they met Val's. The smile slid off her face.

"What happened?" she asked quickly.

"Nothing." Kaye replied just as fast.

"Have you heard from Ravus?" Val asked hopefully.

A small flicker of pain crossed Kaye's face, one that Val couldn't place. Then came the disheartening reply: "No. But Roiben might know something. He's planning on coming Ironside tomorrow." The words were sad. Sad perhaps, because she couldn't provide the information Val so desperately needed? Maybe.

"It's fine." Val answered after a silence. "I guess…um, maybe he just…hasn't had time."

"Kaye, tell her to stop worrying." Ruth said with a sigh. "I told her the guy probably just has important shit to be doing, but she won't listen. Tell her it's fine."

Kaye half turned away, as if to go to the counter, before whispering, "It's…it's fine."

XXX

Ethine sat luxuriously on the throne, eating a grape. Talathain stood by her side. When her messenger returned with news that she had visitors, a pleasant grin spread across her face. She had been waiting for these visitors for a long while. As long as they met in secret, everything would work out perfectly.

"Let them in." she replied.

A man and a woman entered the tented throne room, every inch as beautiful as the splendor surrounding them. The man had black hair and black eyes like Kaye's. The woman had white hair and piercing blue eyes that made even Ethine a little uncomfortable. However, they greeted her with smiles, though the expression didn't reach their eyes. Ethine bowed her head a little in acknowledgement.

"Oberon, Titania." She said. "I trust that your mission has been fulfilled?"

"Of course," replied Titania, giving Ethine a feral grin. "Since you obtained your brother's saliva—"

"In an unorthodox way, I might add." Oberon interrupted, while rummaging in his bag for something.

"—we were able to create a weapon for you that is unable to harm him. That way, you will have your brother alive and well, no matter how the fighting goes. For a price, we will make duplicates for your army." Titania finished with an irritated look in Oberon's direction.

"My thanks. Please, name your price." Ethine responded. She was absolutely delighted. Roiben would be with her again, like they had been as children.

"The servitude of the pixie who calls herself Kaye." Oberon responded.

Even Ethine was above just handing out another faerie's name. "When I see the quality of the original weapon, I will consider your offer. Until you return with said weapon, consider it in the air." She replied, her voice taking on an air of command, like it had habit to do lately.

"Of course, my lady." They responded in unison.


End file.
